Al-Jarud

al-Jārūd was a small-town in the Wadi Hamar area, about 40 km east of the Balikh River in present-day Syria, inhabited during the 9th century. It is identified with Kharāb Sayyār, a ruin covering 42 hectares. The remains of its rectangular-shaped fortification with protruding half-round towers are the most prominent feature. At its peak, during the mid-9th century, al-Jarud was a regional center situated along an east-west running traffic and trading route and was embedded in a well settled, agricultural landscape. At least 60 contemporary settlements have been identified within a 13 km radius.